The Top 50 Food Scams That Will Shock You

Elsa Gone Awry

Everyone enjoys having cake, especially during birthdays, because it brings happiness. However, if the theme of the cake hasn’t been properly researched, it can spoil a party and upset a child. This frozen-themed cake is a prime example of a cake provider’s deception.

If the baker had done their research on Elsa, they likely would have done a better job with the drawing. Another theory we considered is that the maker did research but didn’t have the artistic skills to create a beautiful cake.

In any case, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to thoroughly research before hiring someone.

Misleading Sandwich

When we purchase a sandwich, we usually anticipate it being completely filled because that’s what we expect. That’s why we were shocked to find this meal lacking. The advertiser certainly knew how to deceive someone. From the shelf, you’d think the sandwich was packed with ham and cheese.

Sadly, this was not true when the person opened the package. This approach may have worked for the brand, but it likely hurt their overall reputation. In the end, would you buy from a company that sells bread as a ham and cheese sandwich?

The Deceptive Packaging

Who doesn’t love a box of chocolates filled with delicious treats? Well, everyone except the person who purchased this item. We all would have anticipated that the entire rows would be filled with chocolates. However, the packaging was intentionally designed to deceive the consumer.

The chocolates seen through the transparent part were all that the person received. Paying a high price for a box of chocolates that wasn’t worth it is both upsetting and frustrating. Imagine if you had bought this item and given it as a gift to someone.

The packaging strategy was cleverly executed, but companies really need to hire better marketing consultants.

A Brilliant Marketing Strategy

It’s well-known that we’d like to buy a tin of Oreos because of its elegant appearance and larger quantity. However, this tin was simply a smart marketing strategy to get people to buy a six-pack of Oreos. If we had to guess, we’d say this tin cost more than the regular biscuit package.

We feel for the person who believed they were receiving a container filled with Oreos. It’s surprising that a well-known brand would use such a deceitful tactic. This is why you should always be cautious when purchasing fancy snacks.

A Bottle Half-Full

Optimists often suggest seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. This advice is certainly apt for those who have purchased this half-filled spice container. The person in charge of packaging was clever, as the sticker effectively concealed that the spice quantity was less than indicated.

Fortunately, it seems someone noticed this issue early, as the picture was taken in the supermarket. They must have encountered many food scams before; otherwise, who would have thought to check the spice quantity by rotating the bottle?

A Snack That Shouldn’t Be Judged By Its Appearance

We often buy products based on the packaging’s impression. However, you should definitely avoid purchasing this poppy seed brioche, as it contains very little filling. According to the consumer, the snack only had some poppy seed filling in the center. Incidents like these make us cautious about all brands.

Moreover, marketing experts should not overstate the product description. Many people may have bought the snack, but the brand’s overall credibility has been damaged. Therefore, if you see this brioche on store shelves, make sure to avoid buying it.

The Box of Missing Jerky

Beef jerky is something many of us purchase from grocery stores because it’s easily accessible. However, you should skip this specific brand if you want more than just eight small pieces of beef jerky. The top sticker was deliberately placed to conceal that the middle of the box was empty.

The person who shared this picture was rather annoyed by the situation. But upon closer inspection, the brand wasn’t as deceptive. Anyone who checked the container’s weight would have noticed there wasn’t much inside. This person just discovered it the hard way.

The Candy That Intends to Frighten

Paleta Payaso is a popular snack among children and some adults. Usually, the treat inside the package is meant to look unusual and resemble a clown. Occasionally, it can appear frightening, which is why finding such a humorous treat in the package was surprising.

While this might not appear to be the usual food scam, it all depends on your expectations. If you’ve had the candy before, you would find this amusing and feel the person’s disappointment. But even if you haven’t tried it yet, we bet you were expecting a clown. Well, sorry to disappoint.

The Cone Without Ice Cream

Have you ever had packaged ice cream cones in your life? If you have, then you probably know that this picture lacks enough ice cream. The chocolate ice cream should reach the top of the cone’s cap.

However, the picture clearly shows that the treat has recently been opened, but the ice cream is shorter than the usual height.

It’s hard to find a trustworthy brand nowadays because of such food and other types of frauds. We’re just glad we weren’t in this person’s position.

Lindt in a smaller size

Lindt is a well-known, pricey, and high-quality chocolate brand, which is why we didn’t anticipate this food scam from them. Originally, the box in this picture contained five pieces of chocolate. However, Lindt suddenly began selling this product with only four chocolates.

Additionally, the brand lengthened the box, making it appear as though the quantity had increased. This is why the person in the picture purchased this package. However, upon arriving home, they were disappointed to discover that Lindt had reduced the number of chocolates without any notice.

A Tomato the Size of a Burger

Most items on this list are food mishaps due to missing ingredients or other factors. However, this one is different and involves a tomato the size of a burger. The person had specifically asked the waiter for extra tomatoes on their fast food.

Nevertheless, the restaurant opted to be generous by using a large tomato instead of several small ones. As you can see, it is the same size as the burger and takes up more space than the patty.

Therefore, the creator decided to trick people into thinking the burger was larger. This worked for many, but it also disappointed many due to the altered taste.

The Donut with Two Sprinkles

We have developed various theories about this unusual donut with two sprinkles. The first theory suggests that this treat was not meant to have any sprinkles at all. It is possible that someone unintentionally dropped the two sprinkles while applying the frosting. Additionally, some believe that the donut was intended to be a strawberry sprinkle donut. However, the chef might have chosen not to add the sprinkles at the last minute, resulting in just the two sticking to it. It is important to remember that all these are merely speculations. Regardless of the donut’s background, we hope the recipient enjoyed it.

The Package Containing Just One Broccoli

This food scam is one of the reasons we recommend people buy vegetables either with transparent packaging or from a reputable market. The individual in this picture was shocked when they purchased a packet of broccoli that turned out to be quite different from expectations.

Unexpectedly, the package contained only one large piece of vegetable, which was both insufficient and overpriced. The consumer was so surprised that they decided to share the image online as a warning to others. So, if you ever want broccoli florets, make sure to avoid this brand, or you’ll find yourself needing to go back to the store.

What would you like as a side dish?

Nowadays, restaurants appear to take instructions very seriously and literally. In the picture, a couple ordered sour cream as a side for their tacos. When you look at the picture, you might try to figure out what the restaurant did wrong. Yes, you guessed it.

Instead of serving the dip on the side, an employee applied it to the actual sides of the taco. The couple found this mistake amusing and didn’t reprimand the restaurant. However, this doesn’t mean that food establishments shouldn’t be attentive to instructions. After all, the next customer might not be as forgiving.

Fewer Chips, More Air

It’s widely known that chip manufacturers often fill half the bags with air to make them look fuller. However, Doritos went a step further by launching a new packaging that was claimed to be more filled. But upon close inspection, you’ll notice that the weight of both the smaller and larger packages is the same.

This marketing tactic left many consumers who checked the weight disappointed. Naturally, when this image appeared online, it attracted more attention. This highlights why brands should be cautious when attempting to deceive customers. People do pay attention to the small details.

The Bagel Lacking Vegetables

This is a food mishap that we’re still trying to understand. Initially, nothing might appear wrong, but if you examine the photos closely, you’ll see that one side lacks vegetables. It might have been an unintended error by the vendor. However, it could also have been an attempt to deceive the customer.

Despite that, the person who received this bagel was certainly disappointed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have shared the picture to highlight the mistake. We just hope this never happens to you or us. We would certainly be upset due to the absence of veggies.

Ice Cream Flavor Inspired by Oreo, Without Actual Oreos

Anyone who was craving Oreo ice cream on this day had their appetite spoiled. The reason is that the tub was filled with plain vanilla ice cream. According to the consumer, there wasn’t a single Oreo piece in the dessert. The cookie brand certainly has a history of deceiving customers.

Previously, we highlighted the Oreo tin scam, and now this ice cream incident. Therefore, we recommend purchasing from this brand at your own risk. If this happened to us, we’d be upset for not getting our favorite flavor.

Ineffective Advertising

Do you believe this is a scam from a popcorn brand? If so, you’re not alone. We thought the same until we looked into it further. This product actually isn’t about selling popcorn but the cardboard container.

The product being sold is the popcorn box, and the packet inside is just an extra. The idea is to provide you with a container that you can refill as much as you like.

It seems that the marketing team didn’t do a great job because many people thought they were buying a large packet of popcorn.

The Bacon for $6

Many people frequently order additional items at restaurants. The individual in this image ordered bacon that was $6. As a result, they anticipated receiving more pieces of this dish. Unfortunately, they were only given this small bacon, which left them very disappointed.

You might think the bacon doesn’t look small in the picture, but you would be wrong. The camera was held close to the dish, making it seem larger than it truly is. This is one reason why sides should be ordered cautiously at restaurants. A high price doesn’t always indicate a large portion.

Bagel with Cinnamon Made with Incorrect Ingredient

Cinnamon bagels are meant to be simple and should not have extra ingredients. However, this product departed from the usual recipe and contained two raisins. The person who opened the bagel was surprised and momentarily thought they had purchased a raisin bagel. Normally, this isn’t a big deal since the raisins can be removed.

However, if someone has an allergy to raisins and ate the bagel without checking inside, it could have led to problems. As it seems brands may not always be cautious, we suggest you take care to be. Therefore, always inspect bagels before eating to avoid unexpected surprises.

A Burrito Without a Center

When the person who purchased this burrito initially saw it, they believed it would satisfy their hunger because of its long size. It was only after they unwrapped it that they discovered the burrito wasn’t intact. It had been cut into two pieces placed at the ends. The middle section, which would have made the burrito long, was missing.

This food deception disheartened the customer and made them regret their choice. We can only hope that this doesn’t happen to anyone else, as the burrito doesn’t appear sufficient to fill an adult’s stomach.

What You Desire Vs What You Receive

On social media, there are numerous memes about food expectations versus reality scenarios. Many food establishments tend to exaggerate when promoting a new dish or special offer. This image is a prime example of how restaurants can be disappointing. An individual ordered a plate of nachos, expecting it to match the promotional image.

Little did they realize that the restaurant would barely add any sauce or meat as toppings. We might say to look at the bright side, as the customer received more nachos than anticipated. Nonetheless, the fact that they had to eat them without sauce undermines everything.

A Wrap With Little Filling

Many people enjoy buying wraps for breakfast or lunch because they are quick to eat and satisfying. However, this individual had a poor experience when they discovered their wrap was filled with less than a quarter of its length. They requested not to include the egg.

The restaurant, however, did not inform them that the egg is the primary filling of the wrap. As a result, the wrap seemed incomplete without it. Only two pieces of bacon were placed in the middle, and not even half a slice of cheese was added to make up for the missing egg.

The Misleading Chocolate Chip Muffin

When you order a chocolate muffin, you might expect it to consist of batter with melted chocolate chips or have them as an inside or outside topping. Unfortunately, in this instance, the sweet treat had neither, which is disappointing in many ways. No one wants to buy a chocolate chip muffin that is just a vanilla one.

What’s even more insulting and ridiculing is that the manufacturers included only a single chocolate chip inside. We would have preferred if they included none at all because this indicates that they don’t care about satisfying customers and can’t be bothered to make an effort.

A Disappointing Cannoli

Cannoli is a sweet Italian dessert featuring a fried pastry shell filled with various ingredients. The item in this picture is a subpar version of cannoli, which disrespects the original dish. The filling in this pastry doesn’t seem to completely cover it.

This is disappointing since the dish is usually pricey. We can only express our sympathies to the person who ordered it. If they have experienced genuine cannoli before, they are likely disappointed. However, if they haven’t, they might find it somewhat impressive.

The Betrayal of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is an important occasion for many couples around the world, so it needs to be perfect. Unfortunately, when this guy’s girlfriend was considering a suitable gift, she chose to buy conversation hearts, which weren’t as delightful as she had anticipated.

These conversation hearts were meant to have romantic messages on them. However, as you can see, they are missing any text. Furthermore, some of the hearts are misshapen. This is why you shouldn’t purchase a gift you haven’t seen beforehand. At least, the guy found it amusing when he shared the picture.

Incorrect Sushi

Sushi (nigiri) is a popular Japanese dish in the US, leading to a widespread presence of sushi restaurants. Upon ordering avocado nigiri, the person expected sushi that was seasoned or filled with avocado sauce.

To their surprise, the restaurant presented just slices of avocado on a leaf instead of sushi. This could be seen as a major disappointment. It’s likely the customer was not pleased to be served only avocados instead of a complete meal. We imagine we wouldn’t have been satisfied with that either.

Attractive Packaging, Poor Content

Garlic bread is a favorite accompaniment to pasta, pizza, and various other meals. Consequently, snacks inspired by garlic bread have gained significant popularity. However, these garlic bread chips fail to meet expectations despite their appealing packaging. One might anticipate the snack to mimic the actual dish.

While the chips technically possess the shape of garlic bread, their color and flavor are far from accurate. This snack barely qualifies as garlic bread. This image illustrates how appealing packaging can facilitate the sale of a subpar product.

A Cookie Pack With the Incorrect Image

We all recognize that the images on a snack package often vary somewhat from the actual product. In this instance, though, the cookie inside the package is completely different from the one shown in the photograph. The major discrepancy is that the cookie inside is a chocolate biscuit with two chocolate chips, while the packaging displays a vanilla cookie with numerous chocolate chips. It’s tough to determine where the error lies—was it a printing mistake by the packaging company, or did the manufacturers pack the wrong biscuits? Regardless, it wasn’t a pleasant experience for someone who purchased this snack.

A salad costing $5

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be expensive, as salads can be quite costly. It’s also frustrating when you order one and only receive tomatoes with a few onions. The customer ordered a tomato salad for $5. It’s evident that the restaurant didn’t put much thought into this dish when they added it to the menu.

This salad is essentially a way to overcharge customers who choose healthy foods over fast food. After all, you can easily slice tomatoes at home for free. At least the restaurant was considerate enough to use two different types of tomatoes.

Increased Ice, Reduced Drink

This beverage trick is something that all fast-food chains have been doing for ages. Every location fills the cup with less than half of the beverage and makes up for the space by adding a large amount of ice. Fortunately, we have a tip for you that will help you avoid this trick.

When ordering takeaway or delivery, specify in the instructions not to include ice or to provide it on the side. This is because if you are at home, you will have ice in your freezer. Furthermore, all drinks are typically cold to some degree.

The Unsatisfying Sweet Treat

Blueberry muffins are tasty and can easily cheer you up on a bad day. We believed this until we saw a picture of a blueberry muffin that was mostly plain. It had some frosting on top, along with the fruit, making it look appealing.

However, when the person cut the muffin in half, they found there were no blueberries inside. The treat also lacked cream, which disappointed the consumer. That’s why you should never buy something just because it looks good.

Appearances can be very deceiving, and that’s exactly what this blueberry muffin teaches us.

False Advertising

Seafood enthusiasts were likely thrilled to purchase this jumbo shrimp tray. However, the brand engaged in deceptive advertising and did not deliver on its promise of providing jumbo shrimp. They used the packaging strip to mislead people into buying the product. The shrimp were separated in the middle, with the pieces placed at the two far edges.

This allowed the seller to conceal the empty part of the tray with the labeling strip. As a result, customers believed they were paying a fair price for the jumbo shrimp, but in fact, they paid more than what they received. It’s disappointing, and we sympathize with the consumers.

Unfinished Sour Sticks

Children and young adults really enjoy sour sticks, which is why they are widely available in stores. However, even this snack is not immune to deceptive food brands. This picture perfectly illustrates the issue. The sticks in this tray were meant to extend the full length of the box.

As you can see, they were cut short and only take up about three-quarters of the packet. This is disappointing because people often can’t get enough of sour sticks. Additionally, the child who received this package probably spent the day feeling let down.

The Broccoli Package Without Any Broccoli

We certainly empathize with the individual who attempted to prepare a meal with this broccoli packet. This is because it was missing the main component it should have contained. The producers filled the package with broccoli stems rather than the actual florets.

Although the stems have some nutritional value, they aren’t suitable for use in dishes due to their texture. Consequently, a company’s deceptive tactic spoiled someone’s meal plans. This instance serves as yet another reason to steer clear of buying frozen vegetable packets. They are not only pricey but also come with considerable drawbacks. On the other hand, fresh produce from the market tends to be a more reliable choice.

A Single Blueberry In Exchange For An Entire Packet Of Blueberry Granola

It appears that people often fall for scams involving blueberry products, as this is the third instance mentioned in this list. When purchasing this blueberry granola, one would expect a balance between the two ingredients. Yet, the manufacturer seems to have missed the mark, resulting in a flawed snack.

The packet undoubtedly contains plenty of granola. However, in terms of blueberries, there’s just a single small piece visible in the image. According to the person, the packet was full of granola, with some flavoring that mimicked the taste of blueberry.

The Can With a Hole

This food mishap surprised us and truly stunned us. Usually, a can of tomato paste is completely full up to the top. However, this can exceeded all expectations by having a large hole in the center that goes all the way to the bottom of the tin.

If this tomato paste had been filled from the center, the consumer could have used it for a longer time. Unfortunately, they ended up with a piece of tin. The only thing we’re left wondering is how the hole could have been created. If the company did it intentionally, we hope they face legal action for it.

With additional sauce.

Burgers are quite tasty when they’re packed with our favorite sauces. In this image, you’re seeing a burger without BBQ sauce. What’s notable is that the customer had specifically asked the restaurant to add extra sauce.

So it seems either the employee didn’t pay attention when taking the order, or the kitchen misunderstood the instructions. Regardless, someone’s favorite meal ended up being spoiled.

The burger looks dry and small, and even the onion rings appear smaller than usual. All we can say is good luck avoiding such disappointments.

The Chocolate Incident

Are you curious about what’s off in this picture? The packaging and the actual content differ greatly. The packaging might entice you with extra chocolate, but reality tells a different story. The image reveals that the actual cookie has hardly any filling.

It only has a thin line of chocolate cream that isn’t even melted. This is ironic because that’s not how the cookie is meant to be. For example, the sweet is called Milano Melt, suggesting that the chocolate should be melted.

The Polystyrene Foam Technique

A mug filled with candy appears to be a great bargain until you discover that the candy was never actually in the mug. Instead, it was arranged on styrofoam placed inside the cup to make it look appealing and plentiful. If we were the marketers, we would have put all the treats inside the cup to satisfy the customers and encourage them to return for more.

However, we suspect that after reading this article, you might not want to purchase one of these products. There is one positive aspect to consider, though. At least the buyer got to enjoy some Jolly Ranchers, rather than none at all.

The Chocolate-Free Chocolate Wafer Roll

This is another instance of excessive packaging that has misled many people over the years. The wafer roll on the packaging appears to be filled with melted chocolate. However, in reality, it is dry and does not contain the same amount. In fact, the actual wafer rolls have a hollow gap in the middle.

This is why relying on a photograph is never a good idea when purchasing products. They are only used for advertising and do not reflect the quality or quantity of the item. We genuinely hope that in the coming years, this type of deception stops.

The Most Terrible Birthday Ever

Birthdays are usually meant to be joyous and fun since they are meant to be celebrated. However, the child at this party was not pleased because he received a Styrofoam cake. It might take a moment to notice, but that empty white slab in the picture was supposed to be a cake and not just a platform.

When the cake arrived, the family was pleased with its size and decoration. It looked appealing from the outside, which misled everyone. This is why we always advise people to order from trustworthy and reputable sources by looking at reviews and getting recommendations.

The Production Error

Candy is wonderful when it’s in its ideal form. Nonetheless, everything is incorrect with the one shown in this image. The item hasn’t been produced properly, which is evident. The two strips are meant to be joined so that both colors are eaten together.

However, there was an error in production since the two strips are apart. Curiously, this snack brand is fairly well-known, which is why we were reluctant to believe they would make such a basic error. We also question if the candy is truly a foot long as stated on the package.

The Expensive Piece of Cake

Cheesecakes are tasty and generally more expensive than regular cakes. However, this particular slice is a new example of food fraud. It costs $10, which is quite pricey for a single piece of cake. Moreover, the size of this slice is rather small.

Usually, slices are large triangles that fill most of the space in their plastic packaging. Whoever purchased this dessert either got tricked or really wanted it badly.

Otherwise, no one would spend $10 on such a small piece of cheesecake. Let’s hope the taste was outstanding enough to justify the steep cost.

Onions Disguised as Fish

At first glance, the picture might seem perfect, making it hard to believe it’s a food scam. However, this package, supposedly filled with fish, mostly contains onions. It’s a packet of frozen fish available in many grocery stores.

The buyer assumed they were purchasing a generous amount of fish because the box appeared full. But upon opening it, they discovered that the filling was primarily onions, not fish. The seafood was limited to the thin outer layers encasing the vegetable.

Incorrectly Titled Plain Pancakes

Pancakes come in various flavors that greatly improve the dessert. However, these cookies and cream pancakes are unique. The customer paid an extra $2 to upgrade to the premium flavor but was almost insulted by the restaurant.

The establishment just placed an Oreo cookie on top of the pancake and considered it done. This action could warrant the restaurant being banned for misleading customers because this appearance is not what cookies and cream pancakes should look like. Additionally, the box is too small for the dish and needs improvement.

The Unappetizing Meal

Schools must be accountable and considerate towards their students. Therefore, we were appalled when we saw a student’s lunch that was nearly inedible and unfit for consumption. To add insult to injury, the child had to pay $3.25 for this pizza.

We certainly hope the child chose not to eat this slice of pizza. First of all, it appears too stale to be fresh, posing a health risk to the students. Anyone who consumed this pizza likely ended up in the hospital with food poisoning. Let’s hope the school administration pays closer attention to their cafeteria.

The Affordable Option for Chicken Strips

Chicken strips are pieces of crispy fried chicken that many restaurants and fast-food chains offer as a side. However, this place has a new way of making the dish. They essentially fry a regular smooth chicken patty. After that, they cut it into four strips.

Once the patty was cut, the restaurant called it chicken strips. We believe serving this dish to customers is a crime, as a patty cannot do justice to the classic crispy fried chicken strips. What’s worse is that it costs more than typical patty dishes, which surely leaves customers disappointed.

Fries Without Cheese, the Key Ingredient

Fries are a dish we thought couldn’t go wrong. However, this restaurant proved us wrong by serving us the worst cheese fries we’ve ever encountered. It looks like they just put a slice of cheese on top of the fries and microwaved it to melt.

Naturally, the cheese didn’t melt properly in the microwave. Instead, it shrank and hardened slightly as the meal was being delivered. The person who ordered this must have felt a lot of regret when they received the package. If we were in their position, we would likely have refused to accept and pay for such a poor order.

Stadium Food Fraud

Stadiums prohibit bringing in outside food to increase their sales of expensive meals. Anyone who has visited even once can attest that stadium food is a common exploitation. This burger perfectly demonstrates our point.

It cost the individual $10 and lacked any sauce. There was just one tomato, and the patty wasn’t even big enough to cover the entire bun. Overall, this burger is neither attractive nor satisfying, which is disappointing considering it costs $10. This is why you should never rely on stadiums for quality offerings.